Tonight, we can confirm that electricity rates will be going up. In the beginning of April, we told you about a request made by Belize Electricity Limited to take up electricity rates. At the time, B.E.L. attributed the proposed rise to an increase in the cost of power purchased from producers and proposed an increase of seven-point one percent in the Mean Electricity Rate from the current 36.9 cents per kilowatt hour to 39.5 cents for July 2018 to July 2019.

After reviewing their case, yesterday, the Public Utilities Commission approved an increase in the mean electricity rate of thirty-eight point six-two cents per kilowatt-hour between July first 2018 and June thirtieth 2020. This represents a general increase of about four-point four percent to currently approved tariffs, which is less that BEL’s proposed increase of seven-point one percent.